Selkath
The Selkath were a sentient aquatic species, native to the ocean-covered planet of Manaan. Since Manaan was the only naturally occurring source of kolto, the Selkath held great diplomatic sway during the Jedi Civil War. At that time, they held tightly to their neutrality; however, a few farsighted Selkath occasionally broke their neutrality in secret, and arranged deals to help their preferred side. Eventually, the kolto market disappeared and the galaxy abandoned the Selkath. It was not until the rise of the Galactic Empire that the Selkath would have interaction with the galaxy again. Biology and appearance As an aquatic species, the Selkath were very good swimmers. While their young needed water to survive, once they matured they were able to breathe air. They resembled anthropomorphic sting rays and had blue- or green-colored skin, which was patterned for underwater camouflage. Their mouths were bracketed by cephalic lobes that presumably directed plankton into their mouths. They tended to stroke these during conversation, analogous to the Human habit of stroking facial hair, such as mustaches. Their large, gullet-like throats may have contributed to the sloshing gurgling sounds of a Selkath's voice. In this case, a Selkath's throat may have been filled with water. All members of the Selkath race had retractable, venom-tipped claws. Similar to the Wookiees, the use of these claws in any form of combat or attack was considered dishonorable and a sign of madness; to do this was to give in to animal instincts unbecoming of a sentient species. When the Selkath at Hrakert Station were driven insane by the Progenitor, they abandoned this belief and used their claws to strike down Republic technicians. The Progenitor was a large female firaxan shark, who was seen as something of a deity to the Selkath, and believed to be their evolutionary ancestor. If that origin was true, then the smaller non-sentient firaxan sharks must have been related to the Selkath. The Progenitor had the ability to let out a sonic wailing, causing both firaxan sharks and Selkath to go insane; she used this ability to turn Selkath scientists against Republic forces at the Hrakert Rift. This was an attempt to disable the kolto Harvester used by the Republic to gain the upper hand against the Sith. A Republic scientist later commented that, the Selkath "were like children, coming to protect their mother." Society and culture With the formation of the Republic, the Selkath did not join, but adopted a policy of strict neutrality. Many millennia later, their planet was allowed to keep this neutrality intact due to the advantageous position granted to them by their monopoly on the supply of kolto. Kolto, produced solely on Manaan, was a liquid that contained unique healing properties. When the liquid was applied to wounds it increased the healing rate, and patients could even be immersed in it in special tanks for greater effect. During conflicts, the Selkath threatened to cut off the supply of kolto, unless both sides respected their neutrality. The Selkath were extremely serious about their neutrality and would go to great lengths to preserve it. This was maintained during the Jedi Civil War. The Selkath treated to the needs of the Republic and the Sith, throughout the war. This neutral zone was maintained through strict security laws, enforced by the Ahto City Civil Authority. If either side were to break even the least of their laws, harsh sanctions were imposed, including withholding kolto or huge fines to the offending side. Individuals who disturbed the peace were often executed or imprisoned. As such, the Sith often goaded Republic soldiers into street fights, causing the Selkath to fine the Republic. The Selkath maintained only one surface settlement, Ahto City. This floating city served as the meeting place between Selkath and offworlders, and facilitated the export of kolto. The Selkath themselves preferred to live in underwater settlements, known as 'pods'. These pods were restricted to offworlders, and little was known of them. They were filled with air, not water. The closest pod to Ahto was the Umber pod. The Selkath manufactured distinctive vibroblades, one of which was owned by the Hutt Dreddon many decades after the Selkath withdrew from society. The native language of the Selkath was Selkatha, which despite its gurgling sound, could be learned by non-Selkath such as Revan1 and Dreddon. Special Abilities Amphibious: Selkath can breathe underwater and get a +2D bonus to swimming. When in a dry environment, a Selkath suffers a -1 penalty to all reaction skills, however, when underwater they get a +1 bonus to these skills. Poison: Selkath claws can inject venom into an enemy that does 3D damage on a successful attack and another 2D after 5 rounds. Using poison in a fight is considered unseemly by many Selkath and was outlawed on ancient Manaan. Telepathy Sensitive: Though selkath are not active telepaths, they are quite sensitive to telepathy in other species. The use of Projective Telepathy on a willing selkath receives a +1D bonus. Category:Races